Amazing Creatures of Magic
Jorogumo
Amazing Creatures of Magic is a biweekly blog posted every other Tuesday covering magical creatures that cannot be mentioned within The Pet Corner because all creatures whether real or not, domesticated or dangerous deserve a spotlight within our hearts and minds. A magical or mythical creature will be chosen every other week and be discussed as well-roundedly as possible from the basic information of where they reside to impacts in the wizarding world. In this installment, I will be discussing an infamous beast in ancient Japanese folklore,
the Jorogumo.
The Myth
One of the most infamous yokai(monster) in Japan, the Jorogumo takes the form of a giant spider with its appearance most closely associated with the real golden orb weaver spider. The name, Jorogumo, very interesting meanings to say the very least with the nicest being the golden orb weaver in English and whore spider when directly translated from Japanese. According to legend, a Jorogumo has vast magical abilities allowing them to live among humans without anyone knowing. Their main magical ability is being able to shapeshift and in theory, into anything they want. Usually, though, they would shapeshift into a beautiful woman to lure their unsuspecting young male victims into a secluded house sometimes directly injecting venom into their victims or webbing them up for later. They are known to be extremely manipulative and smart so that even with their huge size, virtually no one would be able to detect them. Legend also dictates that when a normal golden orb weaver spider reaches the incredible age of 400 years, they gain these tremendous magical abilities and develop a taste for humans. Speaking of golden orb weavers, what are these spiders actually like?
The Actual Spider
I won’t go into too much detail on the real-life spider but I want to get across that actual golden orb weavers are NOT scary as opposed to many who would say otherwise. Although big in size, about 2 inches in length excluding legs, they a far cry from the mythical devil. The reason why they are called a golden orb weaver is because other than their golden appearance, they also “weave” gold silk. That's right. Actual gold colored silk, something that is very unique to this species of spider. Their silk is also famous for their strength and durability; if the silk was the width of a pencil, it could stop a flying Muggle jet plane midflight.
The popular reason why a lot of people are afraid of these golden silk spinning spiders is due to their massive size and diet. Not surprisingly, they can eat creatures as small as a fly to large animals as big as a small bird. Like most large spiders, golden orb weavers are poisonous. However, it is not lethal and only mildly poisonous with a bite reaction causing at most intense redness and irritation under normal circumstances. Even with their terrifying appearance, the non-magical golden orb weavers are fascinating creatures that exist in our world.
Last Thought
To end this edition of Amazing Creatures of Magic here’s a question for thought:
Do you believe that the Jorogumo really exist or is it just an exaggeration of a harmless spider?
Thank you for reading this installment of Amazing Creatures of Magic! If you wish for me to mention a specific creature, feel free to comment on this post or owl me. Creatures that can be mentioned range from those known within the wizarding world to those born from myths or lores around the world.
This blog post has been written by:
Hannah Windsor